DOCSLIB.ORG

Anthropology & Photography No. 3 from Resistance Towards Invisibility

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Anthropology & Photography No. 3 from Resistance Towards Invisibility From resistance towards invisibility Catherine de Lorenzo and Juno Gemes Anthropology & Photography No. 3 First published 2016 Cover image: The March for Truth & Justice , La Parouse, 1988, © Juno Gemes ISSN 2397-1754 ISBN 978-0-900632-45-7 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. De Lorenzo and Gemes – From resistance towards invisibility Inspired by Aboriginal activism of the 1970s, a for the Arts and the establishment of its all- small group of non-Indigenous photographers indigenous Aboriginal Arts Board (AAB), where worked closely with Indigenous people, ‘Aboriginals [were] given full responsibility for their culture and struggles, making them developing their own programs in the arts’ empathetically visible for the first time. This (Aboriginal Arts Board 1973), and even the Prime cracked open the barriers of invisibility, silence Minister was reported as saying that ‘Aboriginal and negative imaging surrounding the realities art should be used to inspire social protest in the of Aboriginal life. Informed insider images cities’ (Mendelssohn 2013). appeared in exhibitions and publications. These In seeking to make explicit some of the activist photographers, working collaboratively transitional activities that helped bring about the with Aboriginal leaders in communities and rapid transformation of Australian photography towns, created images that were enthusiastically by so many Indigenous photographers, our used by Aboriginal people and helped change the purpose is not just to augment existing histories consciousness of the nation. Our paper examines but to draw attention to some of the healing this history and asks why these historic images narratives developed by highly skilled and are overlooked by some scholars and art museum committed photographers engaged in creating exhibitions. Australia’s visual history during this seminal Most photographic histories addressing period of dramatic change. Australian Indigenous issues and contemporary Our paper is informed by multiple research photography begin their accounts in the mid strategies. The authors bring together the eighties with the landmark NADOC’86 Exhibition perceptions of an activist photographer and of Aboriginal and Islander Photography an academic researcher on Indigenous photo (Ennis 2007:41–50; Gellatly 2000:285–6; representation during this period. Memory Jones 2011:204–6) – although some literature informs this paper, but does not frame it. We does exist that intimates a longer tradition of have conducted archival research on relevant photography produced for domestic purposes exhibition goals and critiques, and where (Aird 1993; Lee 2000; Macdonald 2003:225– documents are wanting, we interviewed relevant 42). This paper argues that the 1986 starting date protagonists.1 Our understanding of the period is is problematic because it implies that Indigenous informed by photo-historiography, as well as by photography suddenly landed fully formed on more recent theoretical perspectives that seek the art-exhibition scene from virtually nowhere. to throw new light on the period. It is important Missing from these photo histories is an analysis to state that the oversights we note in curatorial of a significant body of work developed by non- and historical discourse are not driven by self- Indigenous photographers who worked closely interest. Our goal in revisiting the 1970s and early alongside Indigenous people to inform the 80s is to draw attention to strategies adopted Australian nation about the struggles, activism by a small number of dedicated photographers, and achievements that were transforming including outstanding practitioners such as Jon Indigenous lives. The 1970s had seen the Rhodes, Wesley Stacey and others, to put their introduction of momentous cultural reforms 1 De Lorenzo corresponded with Bruce Hart (11–16 March by the Whitlam Labor Government (1972–5), 2015), Peter Kennedy (14 March 2015) and Linda Burney including the overhaul of the Australia Council (29 May 2015). 1 De Lorenzo and Gemes – From resistance towards invisibility Figure 1 Left: Installation of After the Tent Embassy, 1982–3, here seen at Wooden Plaza, Canberra, 1983. © Juno Gemes. Right: cover for After the Tent Embassy: Images of Aboriginal History in Black and White Photographs, cover image ©Penny Tweedie, Sydney, Valadon Publishing, 1983. photographic skills to the service of Indigenous rights but also in non-Indigenous consciousness struggles for self-determination. As Peter during the last half century.’ (pers. comm. to Sutton has since reflected, the ‘old rights-based Gemes, 17 April 2014). The visual records of this progressivism’ of the period has now well and movement exist because of the photographers truly gone (Sutton 2008:147). We contend that it who worked by invitation with Indigenous people would be a shame to allow shifting paradigms of around the country, photographing upon request cultural and Indigenous studies to displace this and contributing in any other way they could. seminal period of the larger narrative. Significantly, a few of the photographers were anthropologists (Diane Bell, John von Sturmer), Resistance and their works reflect a time when the practice The photography exhibition After the Tent of anthropology was being transformed, with Embassy (November 1982) was an event that researchers documenting new economic and celebrated ten years of Indigenous activism for cultural structures as well as land-rights self-determination and land rights following claims for the courts. Among the professional the erection of a Tent Embassy on the lawns of photographers – including Penny Tweedie, Juno Parliament House, Canberra on 26 January 1972 Gemes, Wes Stacey, Jon Rhodes, Elaine Pelot- (Foley et al. 2013), and the election later that year Kitchener, Lee Chittick and Michael Gallagher of a reformist government that was responsive – perhaps only Tweedie would have described to these demands. Anthropologist John von herself as a professional photojournalist. These Sturmer has described the ensuing Aboriginal visual-advocacy photographers were drawn to movement as ‘the Civil Rights story in Australia. some of the charismatic Aboriginal leaders and It underpins major changes not only in Indigenous culture makers and to the current realities that 2 De Lorenzo and Gemes – From resistance towards invisibility gripped them. At the time there were few outlets for publishing photographs sympathetically documenting land-rights struggles. There were occasional images in the mainstream press such as Nation Review (Melbourne, 1972–81) and The National Times (Sydney, 1971–86), but some community presses accepted images – such as Land Rights News: A Newsletter for Aboriginals and Their Friends. (Darwin, Northern Land Council July 1976 –August 1985), Aboriginal Land Rights Support Group Newsletter (Leichhardt, Sydney, June 1979– June 1985) and the more glossy Identity magazine (various places, 1971–1982) – though they rarely acknowledged the photographers. However AIM: Aboriginal-Islander-Message (Glebe, Sydney, 1979– 82) regularly published work by Gemes and Pelot- Kitchener, as did mainstream newspapers on occasion.2 In bringing together the work of many photographers working with communities from around the nation, both the exhibition and the post-exhibition publication (Langton 1983; see Figure 1) for After the Tent Embassy identified all photographers by name (although most archival images had yet to await research that might identify the subjects). It seemed less important to note whether the contemporary pictures were Figure 2 Martin Sharp, Art Sale for Land Rights, by professional photographers, anthropologists Paddington Town Hall, Sydney, 1982. or other fieldworkers, for significant diferences were near impossible to spot: the informality of interest here is to look at the reception and legacy many images conveyed an energy that resonated of the exhibition throughout the 1980s and today. with the political impulse for change. Each of After the Tent Embassy was one of three the contemporary photographers advocated the Apmira3 (an Arrernte word for ‘land’) exhibitions aspirations of the land-rights movement. Our held in Sydney in November 1982. The larger 2 The first Indigenous newspaper was Koori Bina: exhibition, Art Sale for Land Rights (Figure 2), A Black Australian News Monthly (January 1977–March with works by over 200 Indigenous and non- 1978), produced by the Black Women’s Action Group Indigenous artists including photographers, was under Roberta Sykes. It was absorbed by AIM (1979–82). a fundraiser for the New South Wales, Kimberley Newspapers such as Koori Mail (1991 onwards) and National and North Queensland Land Councils (Apmira Indigenous Times (2002–15) came much later. To ensure coverage of the 1982 Commonwealth Games Action 3 Apmira was a land-rights support group largely run by Committee, Tweedie secured a commission from Newsweek non-Aboriginals. Two Apmira exhibitions are discussed and Gemes from the Sydney Morning Herald and AIM. now, the third, later. 3 De Lorenzo and Gemes – From resistance towards invisibility archives). After the Tent Embassy was conceived of as a ‘documentary survey of photographs tracing the dispossession of Aboriginals from their land, from the earliest records until the present’ (Anon. 1982:60), and although by this time photographic galleries were emerging in Australian cities, this exhibition, which toured to four other venues, was pitched at community
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Peta Clancy Christopher Day Destiny
    Peta Clancy Christopher Day Destiny Deacon Michaela Gleave Nasim Nasr Sara Oscar Julie Rrap Khaled Sabsabi Yhonnie Scarce Angela Tiatia Christian Thompson Kawita Vatanajyankur Daniel von Sturmer Justene Williams William Yang Under the sun: Reimagining Max Dupain’s Sunbaker Published to accompany the exhibition Under the sun: Reimagining Max Dupain’s Sunbaker presented at The State Library of New South Wales 18 February – 17 April 2017 Monash Gallery of Art 6 May – 6 August 2017 Australian Centre for Photography Director Cherie McNair Curator Claire Monneraye Exhibition Partners Curatorial Assistant Casuarina Bird Education & Public Programs Manager Antoinette Clements ACP acknowledges the key contribution of Catherine Baldwin, Interim Director to the project development and completion. ACP thanks all the staff members from the State Library of New South Wales and Monash Gallery of Art that have contributed to the development of this project. Commissioning Partners Funding Partners John and Kate Armati Andrew and Kate Jerogin Lisa Paulsen Neill and Jane Whiston Medich Foundation This project has been assisted by the Australian government through the Department of Communication and the Arts’ Catalyst—Australian Arts and Culture Fund. Graphic Design Kirk Palmer Design Printer Shepson Printing ISBN 978-0-6480417-0-2 @ Australian Centre for Photography Message from the Minister What better way to celebrate Australian contemporary photography than to attend Under the sun: Reimagining Max Dupain’s Sunbaker, an innovative and thought-provoking exhibition in which 15 leading artists respond to Max Dupain’s iconic image, Sunbaker. In Under the sun, each newly-commissioned work represents a unique interpretation of the 1937 photograph and incorporates a wide range of techniques, showcasing the talent and diversity of the participating artists.
    [Show full text]
  • Australian & International Photography
    Australian & International Photography Collectors’ List No. 178, 2015 Josef Lebovic Gallery 103a Anzac Parade (cnr Duke Street) Kensington (Sydney) NSW Ph: (02) 9663 4848; Email: josef@joseflebovicgallery.com Web: joseflebovicgallery.com JOSEF LEBOVIC GALLERY 19th Century Photography Established 1977 1. Hill and Adamson Address: 103a Anzac Parade, Kensington (Sydney) NSW (Scot t ish, David 1802-1870; Robert 1821-1848). Pres by­ Postal: PO Box 93, Kensington NSW 2033, Australia tery Group 24, c1845. Salt Phone: +61 2 9663 4848 • Mobile: 0411 755 887 paper photo graph, 14.4 x 19.6cm. Old stain to upper Email: josef@joseflebovicgallery.com • Website: joseflebovicgallery.com right corner. Open: Mon. to Sat. by appointment or by chance. ABN 15 800 737 094 $12,500 Illustrated in Stevenson, David Member: Aust. Art & Antique Dealers Assoc. • Aust. & New Zealand Assoc. of Octa vius Hill and Robert Adam son, Antiquarian Booksellers • International Vintage Poster Dealers Assoc. • Assoc. of 1981, p183, with the caption “The International Photography Art Dealers • International Fine Print Dealers Assoc. reporters’ table - Skene standing, W. Robertson, J.R. Fyfe, John Johnstone, John MacDonald and COLLECTORS’ LIST No. 178, 2015 Rev Andrew Cameron.” Australian & International 2. Hill and Adamson (Scottish, David 1802- Photography 1870; Robert 1821-1848). Unknown Man #31, c1845. Salt paper photograph, 19.6 x 14.4cm. On exhibition from Wed., 5 August to Sat., 26 September. $11,000 Illustrated in Stevenson, David Octavius Hill and Robert All items will be illustrated on our website from 15 August. Adamson, 1981, p119. Prices are in Australian dollars and include GST. Exchange rates as at time of printing: AUD $1.00 = USD $0.74¢; UK £0.47p © Licence by VISCOPY AUSTRALIA 2015 LRN 5523 Compiled by Josef & Jeanne Lebovic, Dimity Kasz, Takeaki Totsuka, Lenka Miklos Cover: Lining Up, c1936.
    [Show full text]
  • A STUDY GUIDE by Katy Marriner
    © ATOM 2012 A STUDY GUIDE BY KATY MARRINER http://www.metromagazine.com.au ISBN 978-1-74295-267-3 http://www.theeducationshop.com.au Raising the Curtain is a three-part television series celebrating the history of Australian theatre. ANDREW SAW, DIRECTOR ANDREW UPTON Commissioned by Studio, the series tells the story of how Australia has entertained and been entertained. From the entrepreneurial risk-takers that brought the first Australian plays to life, to the struggle to define an Australian voice on the worldwide stage, Raising the Curtain is an in-depth exploration of all that has JULIA PETERS, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER ALINE JACQUES, SERIES PRODUCER made Australian theatre what it is today. students undertaking Drama, English, » NEIL ARMFIELD is a director of Curriculum links History, Media and Theatre Studies. theatre, film and opera. He was appointed an Officer of the Order Studying theatre history and current In completing the tasks, students will of Australia for service to the arts, trends, allows students to engage have demonstrated the ability to: nationally and internationally, as a with theatre culture and develop an - discuss the historical, social and director of theatre, opera and film, appreciation for theatre as an art form. cultural significance of Australian and as a promoter of innovative Raising the Curtain offers students theatre; Australian productions including an opportunity to study: the nature, - observe, experience and write Australian Indigenous drama. diversity and characteristics of theatre about Australian theatre in an » MICHELLE ARROW is a historian, as an art form; how a country’s theatre analytical, critical and reflective writer, teacher and television pre- reflects and shape a sense of na- manner; senter.
    [Show full text]
  • 11593046.Pdf
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by OTHES DIPLOMARBEIT Titel der Diplomarbeit „Aboriginal Drama and the Clash between Cultures: Black versus White Australia as Mirrored in the Plays The Keepers , Murras and The Dreamers ” Verfasserin Nicole Hahnl angestrebter akademischer Grad Magistra der Philosophie (Mag. phil.) Wien, 2010 Studienkennzahl lt. Studienblatt: A 190 344 333 Studienrichtung lt. Studienblatt: UF Englisch UF Deutsch Betreuer: Ao. Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Franz-Karl Wöhrer DECLARATION OF AUTHENTICITY I confirm to have conceived and written this M.A. thesis in English all by myself. Quotations from other authors are all clearly marked and acknowledged in the bibliographical references, either in the footnotes or within the text. Any ideas borrowed and/or passages paraphrased from the works of other authors have been truthfully acknowledged and identified in the footnotes. Nicole Hahnl HINWEIS Diese Diplomarbeit hat nachgewiesen, dass die betreffende Kandidatin oder der betreffende Kandidat befähigt ist, wissenschaftliche Themen selbstständig sowie inhaltlich und methodisch vertretbar zu bearbeiten. Da die Korrekturen der/des Beurteilenden nicht eingetragen sind und das Gutachten nicht beiliegt, ist daher nicht erkenntlich mit welcher Note diese Arbeit abgeschlossen wurde. Das Spektrum reicht von sehr gut bis genügend. Die Habilitierten des Instituts für Anglistik und Amerikanistik bitten diesen Hinweis bei der Lektüre zu beachten. Aboriginal achievement Is like the dark side of the moon, For it is there But so little is known. (Ernie Dingo) 1 1 This is an extract from Ernie Dingo’s poem “Aboriginal Achievement”, to be found in Kevin Gilbert’s collection of Aboriginal poems Inside Black Australia.
    [Show full text]
  • The Australian ‘Settler’ Colonial-Collective Problem
    The Australian ‘Settler’ Colonial-Collective Problem Author Jones, David John Published 2017 Thesis Type Thesis (Professional Doctorate) School Queensland College of Art DOI https://doi.org/10.25904/1912/2241 Copyright Statement The author owns the copyright in this thesis, unless stated otherwise. Downloaded from http://hdl.handle.net/10072/365954 Griffith Research Online https://research-repository.griffith.edu.au The Australian ‘Settler’ Colonial-Collective Problem David John Jones Dip VA, BVA Hons, MAVA Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Visual Arts Queensland College of Art Art, Education and Law Griffith University June 2017 1 Abstract This studio-based project identifies and interrogates the Australian denial of violent national foundation as a ‘settler’ problem, which is framed by the contemporary clinical and social concept of a ‘vicious cycle of anxiety’. The body of work I have produced aims to disrupt the denial of invasion and the erasure of Aboriginal culture through accepted narratives of European settlement of Australia. By aligning collective denial with anxiety, it presents a pathway for remediation through situational exposure; in this case, through works of art. The critical perspective on the invasion and colonisation of Australia is presented in the discursive and non- discursive modes of communication of the coloniser not to arbitrate or appease but to amplify the content. The structure of the exegesis also draws from Aboriginal narrative methodology and integrates with, and is informed by, the studio production in printmaking using demanding traditional European graphic techniques such as etching and aquatint. 2 Statement of Originality: This work has not previously been submitted for a degree or diploma in any university.
    [Show full text]
  • Art Gallery of New South Wales 2017: Our Year in Review
    Art Wales South Gallery New of ART GALLERY OF NEW SOUTH WALES 201 7 2017 ART GALLERY OF NEW SOUTH WALES 2017 2 Art Gallery of New South Wales 2017 Art Gallery of New South Wales 2017 3 Our year in review 4 Art Gallery of New South Wales 2017 6 OUR VISION 7 FROM THE PRESIDENT David Gonski 8 FROM THE DIRECTOR Michael Brand 10 2017 AT A GLANCE 12 SYDNEY MODERN PROJECT 16 ART 42 IDEAS 50 AUDIENCE 62 PARTNERS 78 PEOPLE 86 BOARD OF TRUSTEES 88 EXECUTIVE 89 CONTACTS 90 2018 PREVIEW The Gadigal people of the Eora nation are the traditional custodians of the land on which the Art Gallery of New South Wales stands. We respectfully acknowledge their Elders past, present and future. Our vision From its base in Sydney, the Art Gallery of New South Wales is dedicated to serving the widest possible audience as a centre of excellence for the collection, preservation, documentation, interpretation and display of Australian and international art, and a forum for scholarship, art education and the exchange of ideas. page 4: A view from the Grand Courts to the entrance court showing Bertram Mackennal’s Diana wounded 1907–08 and Emily Floyd’s Kesh alphabet 2017. 6 Art Gallery of New South Wales 2017 DAVID GONSKI AC PRESIDENT ART GALLERY OF NEW SOUTH WALES TRUST and the Hon Adam Marshall MP, Glenfiddich, Herbert Smith Freehills, Minister for Tourism and Major Events. JCDecaux, J.P. Morgan, Macquarie Group, Macquarie University, The funding collaboration between McWilliam’s Wines & Champagne government and philanthropists for Taittinger, Paspaley Pearls, Sofitel our expansion will be the largest in FROM Sydney Wentworth, the Sydney the history of Australian arts.
    [Show full text]
  • Australian Aboriginal Verse 179 Viii Black Words White Page
    Australia’s Fourth World Literature i BLACK WORDS WHITE PAGE ABORIGINAL LITERATURE 1929–1988 Australia’s Fourth World Literature iii BLACK WORDS WHITE PAGE ABORIGINAL LITERATURE 1929–1988 Adam Shoemaker THE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY E PRESS iv Black Words White Page E PRESS Published by ANU E Press The Australian National University Canberra ACT 0200, Australia Email: anuepress@anu.edu.au Web: http://epress.anu.edu.au Previously published by University of Queensland Press Box 42, St Lucia, Queensland 4067, Australia National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry Black Words White Page Shoemaker, Adam, 1957- . Black words white page: Aboriginal literature 1929–1988. New ed. Bibliography. Includes index. ISBN 0 9751229 5 9 ISBN 0 9751229 6 7 (Online) 1. Australian literature – Aboriginal authors – History and criticism. 2. Australian literature – 20th century – History and criticism. I. Title. A820.989915 All rights reserved. You may download, display, print and reproduce this material in unaltered form only (retaining this notice) for your personal, non-commercial use or use within your organization. All electronic versions prepared by UIN, Melbourne Cover design by Brendon McKinley with an illustration by William Sandy, Emu Dreaming at Kanpi, 1989, acrylic on canvas, 122 x 117 cm. The Australian National University Art Collection First edition © 1989 Adam Shoemaker Second edition © 1992 Adam Shoemaker This edition © 2004 Adam Shoemaker Australia’s Fourth World Literature v To Johanna Dykgraaf, for her time and care
    [Show full text]
  • Sadie Heckenberg Thesis
    !! ! "#$%&"'!()#*$!*+! ,&$%#*$!*+!! !"#$%&$'()*+(,')%(#-.*/(#01%,)%.* $2"#-)2*3"41*5'.$#"'%.*4(,*6-1$-"4117*849%* :%.%4"&2* !"4&$'&%.** * * * Sadie Heckenberg BA Monash, BA(Hons) Monash Swinburne University of Technology A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Of Doctor of Philosophy July 2018 #$%&'#(&!! ! ! ! Indigenous oral history brings life to our community narratives and portrays so well the customs, beliefs and values of our old people. Much of our present day knowledge system relies on what has been handed down to us generation after generation. Learning through intergenerational exchange this Indigenous oral history research thesis focuses on Indigenous methodologies and ways of being. Prime to this is a focus on understanding cultural safety and protecting Indigenous spoken knowledge through intellectual property and copyright law. From an Indigenous and Wiradjuri perspective the research follows a journey of exploration into maintaining and strengthening ethical research practices based on traditional value systems. The journey looks broadly at the landscape of oral traditions both locally and internationally, so the terms Indigenous for the global experience; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander for the Australian experience; and Wiradjuri for my own tribal identity are all used within the research dialogue. ! ! "" ! #$%&'()*+,-*&./" " " " First and foremost, I would like to acknowledge and thank the Elders of the Wiradjuri Nation. Without their knowledge, mentorship and generosity I would not be here today. Most particularly my wonderful Aunty Flo Grant for her guidance, her care and her generosity. I would like to thank my supervisors Professor Andrew Gunstone, Dr Sue Anderson and Dr Karen Hughes. Thank you for going on this journey of discovery and reflection with me.
    [Show full text]
  • Australian and International Photography
    Australian and International Photography Collectors’ List No. 151, 2011 Josef Lebovic Gallery 103a Anzac Parade (cnr Duke Street) Kensington (Sydney) NSW Ph: (02) 9663 4848; Fax: (02) 9663 4447 Email: josef@joseflebovicgallery.com Web: joseflebovicgallery.com JOSEF LEBOVIC GALLERY 19th to Early 20th Century Established 1977 103a Anzac Parade, Kensington (Sydney), NSW Postal: PO Box 93, Kensington NSW 2033, Australia Tel: (02) 9663 4848 • Fax: (02) 9663 4447 • Intl: (+61-2) Email: josef@joseflebovicgallery.com • Web: joseflebovicgallery.com Open: Wed to Fri 1-6pm, Sat 12-5pm, or by appointment • ABN 15 800 737 094 Member of • Association of International Photography Art Dealers Inc. International Fine Print Dealers Assoc. • Australian Art & Antique Dealers Assoc. COLLECTORS’ LIST No. 151, 2011 Australian & International Photography Compiled by Josef & Jeanne Lebovic, Lenka Miklos, Mariela Brozky On exhibition from Wednesday, 29 June to Saturday, 13 August and on our website from 2 July. All items have been illustrated in this catalogue. Prices are in Australian dollars and include GST. Exch. rates as at time of printing: AUD $1.00 = USD $1.05¢; UK £0.65p 1. The 35th Royal Sussex Regiment (Album Compiled by J.J. Twining), c1861-1865. Leather-bound album containing 59 albumen paper photographs and an ink © Licence by VISCOPY AUSTRALIA 2011 LRN 5523 drawing of the Regiment’s coat of arms, most images captioned in ink or pencil on album page, album inscribed and dated in ink on opening pages by owner, J.J. Twining, 7.6 x 7.5cm to 16.7 x 20.7cm (images), 23.5 x 20cm (album).
    [Show full text]
  • National Portrait Gallery of Australia Annual Report 13/14
    National Portrait Gallery of Australia Annual Report 13/14 National Portrait Gallery of Australia Annual Report 13/14 © National Portrait Gallery of Australia 2014 issn 2204-0811 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical (including photocopying, recording or any information storage and retrieval system), without permission from the publisher. This report is also accessible on the National Portrait Gallery’s website portrait.gov.au National Portrait Gallery King Edward Terrace Canberra, Australia Telephone (02) 6102 7000 portrait.gov.au 24 September 2014 Senator the Hon George Brandis qc Attorney-General Minister for the Arts Parliament House CANBERRA ACT 2600 Dear Minister On behalf of the National Portrait Gallery of Australia Board, I am pleased to submit the Gallery’s first independent annual report for presentation to each House of Parliament. The report covers the period 1 July 2013 to 30 June 2014. This report is submitted in accordance with the National Portrait Gallery of Australia Act, 2012 and the Commonwealth Authorities and Companies Act, 1997. The Performance Report has been prepared according to the Commonwealth Authorities (Annual Reporting) Orders 2011. The financial statements were prepared in line with the Finance Minister’s Orders made under the Commonwealth Authorities and Companies Act, 1997. Yours sincerely Dr Helen Nugent ao Chairman national portrait gallery of australia annual report 2013/14 i Contents Chairman’s letter 3 Director’s report 7 Agency overview 13 Accountability and management 17 Performance summary 23 Report against corporate plan 27 Financial statements 49 Appendices 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Brenda L.Croft
    Up in the sky, behind the clouds Brenda L. Croft I do what I do because I like doing it, I’m not chasing fame … Photography is just a medium for me, a way of putting across my views and images to the world. It’s no big deal.1 Big sky. Flat, open plains. Scudding clouds, as if swept across the canvas by a colossal invisible hand. The plane shudders as its landing gear drops – clunk – and, when its wing dips to the right, the black soil of Moree rises up in greeting. I was travelling there to meet with the family and friends of Michael Riley (1960– 2004), whose mother’s people were part of the Moree Kamilaroi community, and whose father’s people came from the red-soil western plains of Dubbo, Wiradjuri country, to the south, where I had travelled some weeks earlier. How do you measure a person’s life? Through their creative output? Their traces left behind, the memento mori? Through the reminiscences of others, in the spoken and written word? Through their family, their ancestors and descendants? Michael left us physically in August 2004, aged 44, suffering the after- effects of childhood poverty – the fate of too many Indigenous people in Australia, a First-World country, where the majority of the Indigenous people continue to live in Third-World conditions. By any standards Michael’s life was extraordinary and he has left behind a body of work that encompasses the complexity of contemporary Aboriginal life in myriad forms: portraiture, social-documentary and conceptual photography and film, and fine-art film.
    [Show full text]
  • Art Gallery of New South Wales Annual Report 2018-19
    Annual Report 2018–19 The Art Gallery of New South Wales ART GALLERY OF NEW SOUTH WALES ANNUAL REPORT 2018–19 2 ART GALLERY OF NEW SOUTH WALES ANNUAL REPORT 2018–19 The Gadigal people of the Eora nation are the traditional custodians of the land on which the Art Gallery of New South Wales is located. The Hon Don Harwin MLC Minister for the Arts Parliament of New South Wales Macquarie Street SYDNEY NSW 2000 Dear Minister, It is our pleasure to forward to you for presentation to the NSW Parliament the Annual Report for the Art Gallery of New South Wales for the year ended 30 June 2019. This report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions of the Annual Report (Statutory Bodies) Act 1984 and the Annual Reports (Statutory Bodies) Regulations 2010. Yours sincerely, Mr David Gonski AC Dr Michael Brand President Director Art Gallery of New South Wales Trust Art Gallery of New South Wales 12 October 2019 Contents 8 PRESIDENT’S FOREWORD 10 DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT 14 STRATEGIC GOAL 1: CAMPUS 16 STRATEGIC GOAL 2: ART 50 STRATEGIC GOAL 3: AUDIENCE 58 STRATEGIC GOAL 4: STRENGTH 68 STRATEGIC GOAL 5: PEOPLE 91 FINANCIAL REPORTS © Art Gallery of New South Wales Compiled by Emily Crocker Designed by Trudi Fletcher Edited by Lisa Girault Art Gallery of New South Wales ABN 24 934 492 575. Entity name: The Trustee for Art Gallery of NSW Trust. The Art Gallery of New South Wales is a statutory body established under the Art COVER: Grace Cossington Smith, The window 1956, Gallery of New South Wales Act 1980 and, oil on hardboard, 121.9 x 91.5 cm, Art Gallery of from 15 March 2017 to 30 June 2019, an New South Wales, gift of Graham and Judy Martin 2014, executive agency related to the Department assisted by the Australian Masterpiece Fund © Estate of of Planning and Environment.
    [Show full text]